Ellen-Rose Wallace

•Borrowing•

Returning stones to the churches of Inis Chlothrann

These stones were taken from inside the grounds of these churches. They were casted, photographed, studied.

The story goes that anyone who takes stones from the churches is cursed. A Quaker named Edward Fairbrother took stones from teampall clogas to build a cottage. Every animal on the island went mad, including his horse and he was forced to kill it.The work is a study of superstition. The plan was always to bring them back exactly where they were found. I made that clear to any force I thought might be offended by my “borrowing” project.Psychology shows us that superstition is the human illusion of control. I tried very hard to be rational while being respectful. In the end I became paranoid, was very anxious that something bad was going to happen. The faeries or the spirits understood my respect and the fact that I was going to bring them back, but I felt I had taken too long.The sense of relief and closure after returning these stones and cleansing the churches was insane, even though I’ve been practicing rationality. • Teampall Diarmuida • Teampall Mór • Teampall Mhuire • Teampall Marbh • Teampall na mBán • Teampall Clogas •